Terra Tumultus
by Rayzor Ray
Summary: It was bound to happen. After more than a thousand years of working to the bone with nothing more than muscle and will, the Earth Ponies of Equestria have risen. What started as a silent night has escalated into something much more. Revolution!
1. Hornhead

**My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was created by Lauren Faust.  
>Characters, names, and all other rights belong to Hasbro, lnc.<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>Terra Tumultus<strong>  
>By: Rayzor Ray<p>

Part 1: Hornhead

Three loud bangs rapped in the darkness.

Nothing moved inside.

A series of louder bangs repeatedly punished the aging, wooden door.

A groan came from a bed from up the stairs of the Ponyville library. The pony in the bed stirred. "Spike, there's somepony at the door…go see who it is." She didn't open her eyes, but she heard the extremely frustrated grunt of her baby dragon assistant as he grudgingly stepped out of his own, small bed. She heard his pattering steps as he made his way down the stairs, the opening of the front door, then finally Spike's distant voice. Just before sleep reclaimed its grip on Twilight Sparkle, she heard a loud yell come from down stairs; followed by a clattering of tables, books, and various other pieces of furniture. A crashing of a vase or bust. Twilight sat straight up in her bed as she heard steps coming up the stairs.

"Spike, is…is that you? What happened? I heard a noise." She hopped out of her bed and made her way for the entrance way of the stairwell, "Is everything all right?" It was then she realized that the steps were not the same as Spike's small pitter-patter steps. These were heavy, slow steps. Steps made by hooves. She rushed to close the door to the staircase, but before she could reach it, a large stallion stepped into the room, glaring at Twilight. In the moonlight shining through the window, his coat appeared as if it was an almost off-white color. His chest was burly, and he sported a mustache that connected to his sideburns. He wore yellow shorts, a red headband, and blue armband on one leg, and a black armband on the other. The latter bared some sort of tree-like symbol.

Twilight took a few steps back, "Who-Who are you?" she stammered.

The stallion took a menacing step forward and lowered his head, "The name's Ace. And you're coming with me, hornhead." He charged at her and brandished what appeared to be a tennis racquet. He raised it over his head, with the intent to strike!

Twilight jumped out of the way as the stallion named Ace swung down, causing him to crash into her nightstand. He made a frustrated grunt as he stood back up.

The purple Unicorn took this opportunity to make a break for the door. However, before she could make to the stairs, her escape was blocked by two more stallions; both wearing the same black armband. They slowly began to push Twilight against the wall. One of the stallions she recognized. He owned the local music store. Blues was his name, instantly recognizable by the two musical notes as his cutie mark. The other, she couldn't remember the name, but she did remember Applejack yelling about his losing of seeds at Winter Wrap-Up. Nougat or something.

"What's that matter, Ace?" Blues glanced over at the frustrated tennis pony, "Couldn't handle this one little filly on your own?"

"I almost had her. Now shut up and tie her down."

The three stallions encroached on Twilight's helpless position. Before they could make a grab for her, she concentrated and, in a bright flash, disappeared.

"Ah horse apples…." Ace spat, "quickly, outside!" Blues and Caramel nodded and followed after Ace down the stairs.

Twilight re-appeared in front of the library. Princess Luna's brilliant full moon shown down on her brightly and lit up everything for her to see. The front door of Twilight's home was wide open. Inside, she could see a small wriggling figure just past the door frame. "Spike!" she shouted as she rushed to her assistant's aide. The dragon was tied up in a strong looking rope, and gagged with a piece of cloth. Her horn lit up as she magically unwrapped his gag.

"Twilight!" he gasped, "You have to get out of here! I think they're coming back down!"

"I can't leave you here, Spike!" Twilight was about to untie the rope, but the loud, fast clamoring of hooves in the stairwell caused her to rethink that plan. Instead she quickly picked Spike up with her magic and galloped out of the library. She kept going until she was sure they were well out of sight, hidden between two small buildings. She gently set Spike on the ground and tried to untie the rope with her magic. For some strange reason, it wouldn't untie. Her magic wasn't affecting the rope at all! She tried again, a little harder this time.

"What was those guys' deal anyway?" Spike asked, his brow raised, "What reason would they have to attack us?"

"I don't know." Twilight replied, a bit strained, "But they were definitely after me specifically." She stopped her magic and lifted her head. "And they called a 'hornhead'."

Spike tried hard to stifle his chuckle.

She tried one last time to untie the rope with her magic, but to no avail.

"This rope appears to be resistant to my magic…" Twilight held a bit of loose rope in her hoof," and I don't think I could get a knot like this untied with my hooves…"

"'Magic-proof'…"Spike began, "but is it fire-proof?" He took a deep breath and blew a stream of green fire at the rope that bound him. _It's a good thing I'm fire-proof_, he thought. He stopped his fire, but much to his surprise, the rope still held firm. "I don't believe it…" he guffawed.

"Well, well, well. Look what we got here." A voice came from behind Twilight. She quickly spun around to face the three menacing stallions from before, with Ace in the center.

"Good luck trying to untie that rope." Caramel snorted, "Hornhead magic can't touch it." He looked at Spike, still on the ground, "Neither can dragon fire, for that matter…"

"It's the finest rope made by Terras. Made specifically for hornheads." Ace took a step forward. "_And_their flashy magic."

As if that were his cue, Blues charged at Twilight, which caught her by surprise. He tackled her to the ground and, like Apple family members at a rodeo, the three worked together to tie the Unicorn mare in the magic-proof rope. When they finally subdued her, they took a few steps back to admire their handiwork.

"Ain't that a pretty sight?" Blues smirked as he watched Twilight squirm in her binds.

She tried to use her strength to break the rope, but it was an impossible task. She knew that magic wasn't going to work, but if she teleported to somewhere safe; maybe to Applejack's. She'd know how to untie this knot. She concentrated hard, but all her horn did was fizzle and burn out like an old candlelight.

Ace took notice of her sparking horn, "Oh, did I forget to mention that this rope can also negate your power?" He made a snide face as he lowered his head to Twilight's level.

"Why are you doing this?" Twilight's eyes began to water, "what have I ever done to you?"

Blues, with the help of Caramel, hoisted the bound Twilight onto his back, "Nothing. That's all you ever did to us." He threw his head back, smashing it into Twilight's, knocking her into a state of unconsciousness. That word was the last thing that echoed in her mind.

"Nothing." 

* * *

><p>This will be the only author's comment until I find it necessary to put another in a later chapter.<br>Well, that was Part 1, yes I know it was kinda short, but none of the Parts I have done so far (1 to 4) are terribly long. Lemme know what you thought. Then, head on over to Part 2 :D  
>Enjoy the Earth Pony Uprising i nTerra Tumultus. Who knows where it could head off too!<p> 


	2. The Terras

Part 2: The Terras

_What is that sound…? It sounds like…crying!_

Twilight snapped her eyes open. She was lying on the ground in what looked like the town square, the main building of the Ponyville town hall filled her vision. No lights were on in the town; instead, there were a few controlled fires burning to shed light in the night As she slowly began to panic and squirm in her bind, she heard a small sound to her left: whimpering and sobbing. She turned her head to see another pony, bound just as she was, lying right next to her. Another was squirming beyond that pony, and another beyond him. Before long, her vision was filled with a new sight: practically a third of Ponyville was bound and wrapped up in the same rope that held Twilight.

It was then that her intelligent brain finally flipped all of its switches and she could hear every scream, every cry, every sob, and every yell from the tied up ponies in her vicinity; their fears of what was going to happen next overcoming them. She heard a rustling behind her. She rolled over to see another group of stallions carrying, and eventually tossing to the ground, another familiar pony, Seafoam, recognizable from her twin dolphin cutie mark and purple color scheme, which looked almost as dark as Twilight's in the moonlit night.

Just to the right and further away from where Seafoam was dropped, another sight caught her eye: a cream colored pony was desperately trying to fend off a couple of stallions from a tied up, mint-colored one on the ground. Tears streaming down her determined face. Twilight immediately knew who it was. It was Bon-Bon, and she was fiercely trying to defend her tied up friend, the lyrist Unicorn, Lyra. Twilight was about to shout 'Look out!', but before the words could leave her muzzle, a third stallion had jumped on Bon-Bon and pressed her into the hard earth. The stallion made a gesture to the other two, and they quickly tied her up and carried her away from her bawling and pleading friend.

A single tear fell out of Twilight's eye. But before she could get a full cry out, she was startled and felt as if her heart skipped a beat as a loud thud came from behind her.

"Hey hornhead," a voice said, she knew it was Ace, "I brought a friend of yours that you can play with."

_Friend?_

Twilight rolled over to see a sight she never thought she'd ever see. Rarity, her mane and tail frizzled from conflict, covered in scuffs and bruises. She had her muzzle covered by a piece of cloth, but Twilight was able to understand most of the curses that came out of her muffled mouth. Her back was turned to Twilight as she cussed at Ace and the two other stallions with her eyes. The three all shared a laugh and trotted away, leaving Rarity to thrash about in her binds.

"Rarity!" Twilight shouted, wriggling toward her friend. Rarity stopped struggling and rolled over. The sight of a familiar face caused all of Rarity's emotions to overflow. She began bawling, her cry muffled by the still worn gag.

"Hold still, Rarity." Twilight positioned herself just right, "I'm going to get this thing off of you." She gently bit the tip of the gag and pulled it off of Rarity's snout.

"Twilight!" Rarity shouted her first her first word, "What's happening?" Tears were still streaming down her face. Twilight let her friend nuzzle into her neck.

"I don't know, but Rarity, how did they capture you?" Twilight looked down at the sobbing fashionista. "I would have thought that you, of all ponies, would have been able to hold off those three. I mean, you saved yourself from those Diamond Dogs, right?"

Rarity pulled away from Twilight slightly, but didn't meet her eyes, embarrassed that she did indeed get caught, "I made sure it wasn't easy, at least." Her eyes began to well up again, "Opalesence bought me a little time, but it was all for not!"

With that reaction, Twilight assumed that Rarity's cat was no more. This also reminded her of Spike, who was nowhere to be seen. She wished with all her heart that he was okay; she knew that was all she could do.

"Where is everypony else?" Twilight asked, "Have you seen them? AJ? Pinkie? Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy?"

Rarity thought for a moment, "I am fairly certain that I did see Pinkie Pie hopping around, but when I screamed for help, she just looked at me and smiled."

That didn't sound good.

Twilight suddenly froze in horror at a thought that crossed her mind, "Rarity, where's Sweetie Belle?"

Rarity perked up, "She's…She's at Scootaloo's house. If I recall, she doesn't live in a cloud like Rainbow Dash." Twilight looked at her friend's worried, misty eyes.

"I'm sure she's safe. I don't see or hear her, so don't worry." Twilight cooed, but she herself was extremely worried.

"What in the name of Celestia is going on here?" a loud bellow came from the podium stage in front of the town hall. Twilight and Rarity, along with every other pony in the square, looked to see the mayor, Mayor Mare, looking incredulously at the sight before her.

"Miss Mayor…" a voice came from the side of the stage, and both Twilight's and Rarity's eyes widened as none other than Applejack came walking onto the stage, her familiar cowpony hat sported a black band wrapped around the crown that read 'Terra'; accompanied by her brother, Big Macintosh, a sprig of wheat in his mouth like always; and their cousin, Breaburn, his usual vest now black and stitched with a circular patch on the back, one that had an image of an apple tree, the word 'Terras" written below. The mayor stepped away from the podium to speak with them.

"What is Applejack doing?" Twilight asked nopony in particular. She watched as the mayor and Applejack began talking. At first, both of the mares appeared to be speaking politely to one another; at least, Applejack was. After half a minute of talking, Mayor Mare began to yell and point her hoof at Applejack, and then the scene of the town square. Applejack kept her calm face as the mayor yelled at her. Applejack let her finish, and replied simply to her, a reply that the mayor gave a disgusted look. She stomped her hoof on the podium and shouted one last thing to Applejack before turning to leave the stage in fury. Twilight was sure she heard Princess Celestia's name. She watched on as the mayor made her way to the steps. Before she could leave the stage, Applejack pointed a hoof at Ponyville's leader, which made both Macintosh and Breaburn charge after her. The mayor turned as she heard the rumbling hooves, and made a dash to the town hall's entrance, but was tackled by the nimble Appleloosan and tied up by the red stallion.

Applejack made her way to the podium and shouted into the square, "Hoity!" she shouted, "Ring the bell!"

A white pony with an expertly coiffed mane emerged from the town hall, "I say, my name is _Horte_. Horte Cuisine…" he said rather haughtily.

"Just go an' do what Ah say." Applejack waved her hoof to shoo him back inside. A few seconds later, the bell on the top of the hall began to clang. Lights all over the town began to flick on inside homes, though not all of them, and ponies of all colors began to tiredly walk to the square to see what the fuss was about.

Their tired faces were quickly swapped for shocked ones as ponies from all around Ponyville saw the sight at the square. Many attempted to help or free the bound ponies on the ground, but were all were stopped by various stallions and mares, all wearing the same black arm band.

The small crowd of confused Ponyvillians began an excited and concerned murmur as Applejack stood at the podium.

"Quiet down, ya'll!" she said while slamming her hoof on the wooden box. All at once, the square hushed, except for the few sobs and cries of the bound ponies. The ponies not part of the crowd, wearing the armbands, all lined up below Applejack. The town's Pegasi, including Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, hovered over head. Before the cowpony had a chance to speak, Dash speedily flew down to her friend.

"Hey, Applejack," Rainbow didn't land, "What's…going on here?" her reddish-purple eyes showing great concern.

"T'ain't no concern a yers, Rainbow Dash," Applejack looked at her sternly, "unless you wanna make it yer concern." Macintosh and Breaburn took a menacing step forward. Dash backed off.

"And trust me, Dashie; you don't wanna do something silly like that!" Pinkie Pie hopped up onto the stage, adding to Applejack's threat. She was also wearing a black armband with the tree insignia.

Dash was relived to see somepony who didn't look like they were ready to kill somepony. She tried to get some answers out of her instead, "Pinkie Pie, what's the deal, why are all these Unicorns tied up?"

Twilight couldn't believe it took her this long to notice, but everypony that was tied up was indeed a Unicorn. Not a single bound pony was a Pegasus, or an Earth Pony. That is, except for Bon-Bon and the mayor, both of whom had disappeared.

"Oh, Dashie," Pinkie Pie hopped up and pulled Rainbow down to the ground and put a hoof over her shoulder, "don't you see? It's a revolution!" She said that last part with sugary glee.

Applejack spoke up and addressed the crowed of Earth Ponies and the flying Pegasi, "Listen up, ya'll," she started, "how many of you are tired of being put in yer place bah these Unicorns. They think just because that we don't have their fancy smanchie magic, that they can hold their heads up high over ours an' lead lives of luxury, takin' that magic that they have for granted, an' leaving the back breakin', hard labor for us: The Earth Ponies. Why, with their magic, they could do all of our work a hunerd times faster n' any of us, yet they still choose ta work jobs like makin' fancy smanchie clothes that we cain't afford," Rarity could feel Applejack's eyes burn into her skull, "or spendin' all their time readin'," Twilight didn't change her frightened expression, "or doin' what ever the hay they want, while leaving us in the dirt", she pointed at who was known around town as the Panicking Ponies of Ponyville: Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily; "the mud," she pointed to herself and Big Macintosh, "an' reduced ta nothin' but servants." She pointed at twin spa sisters, Healing Waters and Tranquil Blossom.

The crowd began to murmur once again; but this time, not with the concern they showed before. The Pegasus ponies still hovered above, confused as to what exactly was going on. Applejack took notice.

"An' you flyin' ponies up there," she pointed her hoof up, "You, unlike these…hornheads on the ground here, you don't go flauntin' yer wings around like they do their magic. You use them for honest hard work." She shot a glance at Rainbow Dash, "Most of y'all anyway. So Ah, leave the choice up ta all of you. You can either help us, or leave us alone." Applejack lowered her brow, "But, if'n you decide you wanna fight against us, I cain't be held responsible for what might happen…" As if on cue, four stallions, two each, threw two bound ponies on stage. It was Bon-Bon and the mayor! Both of whom were bruised , bloody, and beaten badly.

Rainbow Dash showed her disgust at Applejack loudly, "What? Are you serious?" She flew up and closer to her friend, "AJ, are you really going to start a 'revolt' against the Unicorns? Look at what you've _done_ to these two! What about Twilight and Rarity?"

Applejack took her hat off and put it close to her chest, "Twilight, Ah'll be sad ta see go." She put her hat back on, "But Rarity? Who gives a hay?" She started to walk off the stage, but turned to face Rainbow Dash once more, "'Course, this all depends on whether they give up without a fight. Help us, or stay out of our way, Rainbow. Ah'd hate ta see anything happen ta you too."

"What's gonna happen to them?" a Pegasus called down as he pointed to the scattered Unicorns. Applejack stopped and looked up. She turned back to the podium and addressed the ponies once more.

"Whatever our boys can think of… But don't you worry none. We won't kill 'em…on purpose." She adjusted her hat a little as she thought of something else to say, "Oh yeah. And from now on, we won't be called 'Earth Ponies' no more!" She took off her hat to show the band, "From now on, we are the Terras."

Much to the Unicorn ponies-including Twilight's and Rarity's-utter horror, the small crowd of the remaining Earth Ponies cheered. And they rushed over to the stage to receive their armbands from the lined up stallions and mares, but not before taking an oath to swear their allegiance to the Terras.

A few Pegasus ponies also flew down to get one. They had also grown tired of the Unicorn's constant flaunting of their magic prowess.

The emotion began to well up once more as tears again rolled down Twilight's cheeks. What was going to happen to her? The Unicorns? She looked up at the Moon and whispered to herself, "Please, Princess of the Moon, tell Princess Celestia of what's happening. You two may be our only hope…" Normally Twilight didn't believe in such things, but the old legend of being able to communicate with the Lunar Princess by way of the Moon was the only thing Twilight could think of.

Applejack turned to her kin to speak, but was still close enough to the podium to be heard, "There's gonna be lotsa changes 'round here." She paused, "Naw, not just 'round here. In all of Equestria."


	3. To Start a Revolution

Part 3: To Start a Revolution

Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Breaburn walked through the front doors of the town hall. Inside, the leaders newly formed pony class, the Terras, were gathering in the meeting room, a room that was normally only used when the mayor had important politicians from Manehatten, Fillydelphia, or even Canterlot visit Ponyville. Macintosh pushed the doors open, and the three were greeted by a small group of ponies, all sitting around a large table. The Apple kin took their seats, and Applejack scanned the filled chairs.

All but one of them, Earth- no, Terra Ponies. Twelve in all. Each of them wearing the Terras armband. Each of them hoof picked by the Apple Family heads; Applejack, Macintosh, and Breaburn included. Most of the ponies in the room hailed from Appleloosa, a town that was funded by the Apple Family, and consisted of all Terras. It is a very well hidden fact that Appleloosa was not a "frontier settlement" as the papers had said, but actually an Earth Pony separatist colony. The higher-ups in Canterlot tried to keep them contained by allowing them to do as they pleased, but it was apparently not enough.

Members of this hoof picked group included AJ, Macintosh, and Breaburn, of course, but also included were: Sheriff Silverstar, the legendary outlaw-turned-sheriff of the Mild West, who was willing to give up his life at one time, fighting the Buffalo herds; Bluegrass, a pony who was in the front lines during the Buffalo Invasion of Appleloosa; Toffee, Caramel's much more competent sister, who had moved to Appleloosa to improve the town; Black Stone, another pony who had received recognition during the Invasion; Ruby Rhubarb, a green pony who had somehow gained the Apple Family heads' attention during the Invasion, though Applejack had no idea what; Marmalade "Jalapeño" Popette, a filly who showed fierce determination when preparing for the Buffalo; and the last pony hailing from Appleloosa was Promontory, the lead stallion of the freight train that went to the Mild West town. Years of pulling the locomotive, while simultaneously beating back Buffalo after Buffalo, has made him one of the strongest ponies in Equestria, along with his team, who were positioned just outside the meeting room.

Aside from Applejack and Macintosh, there were only two other ponies among them that lived in Ponyville. One of them being Nurse Redheart, the white mare and her extreme medical knowhow proved to be an invaluable asset in the Apple Family's eyes. The other pony was Firefly, a Pegasus. She was the first Pegasus to talk about a revolt in Cloudsdale, and had even formed a small band of Pegasi to follow her. However, they were stopped before they could do anything. Banished from her cloud home, she came to live in Ponyville. Her past well known by the entire town, Applejack was the one who nominated her to be part of the group. Almost all of her former associates joined her once again; others that didn't had already moved on.

The group hushed as Silverstar began to speak when the three had settled, "Okay, Applejack, we've taken over Ponyville. And if Ah do say so myself, it went pretty quickly." He smoothed his moustache with his hoof, "Definitely the fastest hogtie of a town Ah've ever seen."

The others mumbled in agreement. The take over of Ponyville went much faster than anticipated.

"So what's next?" Toffee piped, looking around the table, but stopping momentarily on Applejack.

"'What's next'?" Applejack stroked her chin, "Well, listen up an' Ah'll tell ya. Breaburn, would ya kindly..." Applejack's cousin nodded and pulled a folded piece of paper of from the inside of his vest and laid it out on the table. He and Macintosh began to unfold it to reveal a large map of Equestria.

"First thangs first," she pointed to the turquoise Pegasus, "How many ponies d'you have that can fly now?"

Firefly thought for a minute, "Let's see, I have twenty-two…plus the eleven that just joined…thirty-one!"

Silence.

"Uhh, that's thirty-three, ain't it?" Black Stone pointed out.

"Oh…yeah, thirty-three." The Pegasus blushed and laughed sheepishly, "Duh."

Applejack gave an unamused stare before looking back down at the map, "Firefly, I want you to send nine of yer number to Hoofington, along with Promontory and Team Locomotive; and take about sixteen more others with ya." She marked the town of Hoofington, which was South of Ponyville, "That should be enough of y'all to git the job done." Promontory nodded, stood, and headed for the door. Taking the heavy hoof steps as a sign, the three other members of Team Locomotive-Caboose, Evening Star, and Steamer-appeared outside of the opened meeting room door. Promontory motioned them outside to the square.

"He don't talk to much, do he?" Big Mac commented.

Breaburn chuckled, "Speak for yerself, cous."

Applejack circled a location just Northeast of Ponyville, "After you tell those nine to head on over ta Hoofington, Firefly, you need to take the rest of yer number to Cloudsdale. Since Terras cain't walk on clouds, t'ain't no need to take it over. Just go an' try ta rally some more supporters."

"I think we can manage that!" Firefly chirped and flew out of the room, but not before doing a small loop from her seat.

"She's awful chipper for bein' a revolutionary." Bluegrass said, rubbing the back of his neck. Black Stone agreed.

"As fer the rest of y'all, Toffee, Ah need you to come up with plans fer the bigger cites like Manehatten, Fillydelphia, an' Stalliongrad."

"Roger that!"

Applejack pointed to the other two mares in the room, "Ruby n' Marmalade'll help ya out."

"Sure thang!"

"Please, call me 'Jalapeño'"

The three ponies stood up and walked out of the room.

"Sheriff, you take Black Stone n' Bluegrass and start gettin' everypony to carry all those Unicorns back ta tha farm." Applejack paused, "Bring the mayor and that other filly too. Macintosh, you go ahead with 'em too."

"Eeyup."

The four stallions left the room.

"Miss Redheart, you go directly to the farm. Ah've got no doubts that they'll be needin' you right away."

The nurse pony didn't say anything. She wore a look of concern as she slowly trotted out of the room. Applejack knew for a fact the nurse felt uneasy about her job, as it went against the oath she took. However, Redheart knew that, while it wasn't what she wanted, it was for the greater good of the Terras. She knew that was where her loyalties lied.

"And Breaburn…"

"Uh, yes, cous?"

"Jus'…find somethin' ta do."

Applejack stood up and left the slightly disappointed Breaburn alone in the big meeting room. He sighed and adjusted his hat as stood to leave the room, "Whelp," he said, "Ah'll hazard a guess that by tomorrow mornin', lotsa ponies ain't gonna recognize Equestria no more."


	4. Targets

Part 4: Targets

_..ike…kup.._

_…pike…ake up_

"SPIKE! WAKE UP!"

The purple baby dragon jerked awake and screamed at the large, light-green eyes that peered into his dark-green ones.

"Spike, relax! It's me, Sweetie Belle!" the young, white Unicorn foal took a step back, so that Spike could fully see her. The dragon stopped screaming and took deep breaths, trying to slow down his beating heart; his claws digging into his own chest. He relaxed a little.

"Wh-where am I?" Spike asked. He looked around. He appeared to be in somepony's home, but he didn't know whose, "What happened?"

"We found you tied up and knocked out in an alley." Sweetie continued, "It happened like this…" She explained how she had been spending the night over at Scootaloo's, in an effort to plan out more ideas for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to get their cutie marks. Right before they were about to call it a night, the town hall's bell rang. Spike nodded and said that he remembered the sound. Before Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and her father could get to the square, they were called to from behind some crates in an alley. It was Sweetie's schoolmate-she was a year or two younger-Dinky, and her mother, Ditzy, along with a couple of Pegasus ponies and a hoofful of Unicorns.

"Why were they hiding?" Spike asked, a mixture of fear, concern, and confusion was expressed in both his voice and eyes.

"They call it a 'revolution'," A voice came from the darkness. Two ponies stepped into the moonlight that beamed through the windows. One of them, Spike recognized. It was Ditzy Doo, the town mailmare. Spike noticed that something seemed off about her. Her eyes weren't crossed like they usually were, and she had a serious look planted on her face; one that Spike didn't know she could make. Her daughter, Dinky, peered out from underneath her. The other, he didn't know. The Unicorn introduced himself as Pokey Pierce and continued, "but it's nothing more than unjust persecution and imprisonment."

"Revolution? Imprisonment?" Spike began to panic as he thought about Twilight, where she was, and what she was going through. "What are you talking about? How do you know all this?"

Sweetie Belle spoke up again, "Once Scootaloo, her Dad, and I went to where these ponies hiding, Ditzy lead us to a spot that overlooked the town square…." Her eyes began to well up and her voice became strained. She started to sob. Dinky walked out from under her mother and comforted the foal. Apparently her sister, Rarity, had been caught; Spike's heart ached. It also seems Scootaloo's father decided to take himself and his daughter and leave Ponyville to head for Cloudsdale, to remain neutral and not have to "deal with any of this nonsense".

"I took 'em to a safe spot an' showed 'em what was happenin'." Ditzy walked to the window and looked outside, "Nearly every Unicorn in town was rounded up."

_So, they were going directly for Twilight._ Spike thought. He spoke up, "But-But why the Unicorns?" He tried to keep a serious face, for Sweetie Belle's sake. The foal had calmed down a little, thanks to Dinky.

Pokey answered him, and explained that the Earth Pony, Applejack, and every Earth and Pegasus Pony she could get to follow her were attempting to start a civil war all over Equestria in a matter of hours. Seeing as how the Terras, as they now liked to be called, weren't actively looking for Pegasus ponies, Ditzy had sent the two other Pegasi in their group to go keep watch and report on the happenings every twenty minutes. He went on to say that the last time they came back, they had said that the Terras were carrying the last of the Unicorns to Sweet Apple Acres and that they had sent groups to the South and Northeast.

"So, you're saying that Applejack is the one who started this whole thing?" Spike he ran his claws through his spines, he was on the brink of losing it. Looking at his claws, he suddenly realized he forgot to ask, "And, hey who untied me? Twilight said that the knot was really complicated."

"Mama did it!" Dinky beamed, "She's real good at complicated stuff." Spike never would have guessed.

"Applejack may not be necessarily." Ditzy replied, "She spoke for them, but it's anypony's guess if she's actually in charge 'r not. Or even started it."

Spike slumped to the ground, trying to process what had transpired since he was knocked out by those three stallions from before. Twilight and Rarity, along with nearly every Unicorn in Ponyville had been captured by Applejack, one of his closest friends, and her new Terra ponies. He looked up at the two adult ponies, "So, those groups that they sent out…"

"Probably sent to start more uprisings and captures." Pokey responded.

"And Firefly probably sent the Pegasi she has to Cloudsdale to gather more air support." Ditzy added. Spike knew that name, but couldn't place a face or cutie mark. He knew she was Pegasus that flew around Ponyville all the time. Ditzy took notice, "Firefly's a Pegasus who tried to start a revolt in Cloudsdale once, but failed." She looked out the window once more, "I know, 'cause I was part of her movement." Spike was shocked, as were the two foals sitting on the floor. This was news to them. She continued, making her way to Dinky, "But after I was sent to live in Ponyville, I met my little Dinky-muffin's father." She nuzzled her foal, "And soon you were born. A Unicorn, just like your father." A picture of a light purple stallion Unicorn with a yellow mane, and a muffin as a cutie mark, sat on a nearby table, Ditzy laying next to him, both looking joyfully at a tiny Dinky that lied in-between them. Next to the picture, a funeral card with the name "Blueberry "Muffin" Doo".

There was a moment of silence in the room before a Pegasus opened the door, "They finally finished taking the Unicorns to the apple farm!"

Everypony gave each other a grim look before Pokey addressed her, "Lightning Bolt, go back out with Raindrops one more time. Wait for most of them to leave for the farm, and then come back when they've stopped moving around so much." He looked at the foals, and then the closed door behind him, which was where the rest of the Unicorn ponies lay in hiding, "We'll make a move to leave the town once the coast is mostly clear, since there's no way they'd completely abandon a town they got control of." She nodded and took off out the door.

"Leave the town?" Spike stood up, "What are you talking about? We have to go rescue Twilight, Rarity, and the others!" His outburst was met with sympathetic faces.

"We can't risk it." Pokey shook his head, "They've got way too many ponies on their side. If we went to rescue them, we would be caught up along with them in a flash."

Spike stomped his foot, "Hello! You all have magic!" He poked his head where a horn would be, "If you used your magic, you could stop them before they even touched you!"

"Ya forget," Ditzy added, "half of the ponies at the farm belong to the Apple family. I've been to enough rodeos with my Dinky-muffin to know that the Apples _will_ get a rope around these Unicorns. And as ya know, once that rope makes contact, they can't use magic anymore."

Spike fell silent. She was right. They had better numbers, and that rope. Plus with the Apples at the other end of that rope, capture was almost certain. He looked Ditzy in her eyes, which had still not "derped" as he liked to call it, and sighed.

"But I can still blow my fire, even with the rope tied around me, and-" He was cut off by Sweetie Belle, who hugged him out of the blue.

"You can't do it alone, Spike." She said, he face buried in his shoulder, "Come with us. I know you miss Twilight, but you just can't go by yourself." Spike knew that with the disappearance of her sister, and everything else happening around that made this little filly become a target, he couldn't say no.

A knock came on the door, and everypony in the room turned to face it. Ditzy went to go open it, wondering to herself, _Why are they knocking on the door? Every other time, just came in… _Then it hit her. She spun around to quickly tell Pokey to hide, but a figure in the window kept waving its hoof. It was Lightning Bolt, and she was frantically signing to Ditzy to get everypony out through the back door.

The remaining Terras in town had found the hiding Unicorns somehow.

The knocking came again, harder this time. Ditzy turned to Pokey, Spike, and the foals, "Get everypony out of here. They found us." She opened the door to where the ponies were hiding. "Quickly, out the back door," she hissed, "all of you go and get out of the town now!"

"But, Ditzy," Spike stepped forward, "what about you?"

The mailmare didn't reply. She just turned around and faced the front door of the house, which was now nearly being beat down. Dinky scurried over and clung to her mother's leg. Ditzy looked into her foal's eyes warmly, "Dinky-muffin, I want ya to go with the nice stallion, okay?"

Dinky shook her head.

"Dinky-muffin…"

She shook her head even harder.

"Dinky," she said sternly, "do as your mother tells you."

"I don't wanna!" she wailed. Ditzy looked at Pokey and nodded. With that, the Unicorn's horn lit up and gently pulled the smaller Unicorn off of the Pegasus. She cried uncontrollably. This time, it was Sweetie Belle's turn to comfort Dinky, and she attempted to calm her down.

"Where are we going?" a Unicorn asked, as the group made their way to the back door.

"I'll meet you all on the East outskirts of the Ponyville." Ditzy called back, "We'll discuss what we're gonna do then. Now go! Before they circle around!"

"Ditzy..." Spike tried to speak up again but was cut off.

"Look, they aren't looking for Pegasus Ponies." She walked to the front door, "besides, I have a little trick up my hoof."

The Unicorns and Spike all filed out of the back door of Ditzy Doo's home, and silently and quickly began to creep their way though the occupied town to the East outskirts. Lightning Bolt stealthily flew in and landed quietly next to Pokey.

"What the hay happened?" he hissed, trying not to be heard, but loud enough to convey his anger.

"It was Raindrops." Lightning Bolt sighed, "She sold us out..."

As soon as she was sure that that everypony was out of the house, Ditzy closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She opened the door, and the Terras on the other side were greeted by a gray Pegasus with a wide smile, and whose eyes were severely crossed.

"Hiya!" she greeted, "Can I interest you in a muffin?"


End file.
